I. Description

This course introduces students to the works of Shakespeare through plays he
wrote about the history of the British Isles. Team taught from both
historical and literary perspectives, students will read plays as both dramatic
interpretations of history and enduring works of theatre. They will learn
how to understand a play by Shakespeare as well as think like an historian. Beginning with
an examination of the age in which Shakespeare lived and his own life, study
will then shift to a chronological review of several plays about British
monarchs in the context of actual historical events. The success and
failures of his characters use of war, murder, and power will illuminate
Shakespeare's efforts as a dramatist, polemicist, and interpreter of the human
condition. Students will better understand medieval and renaissance
British history and discover Shakespeare's significance within and beyond his
age. Counts either for a European History or a English Major Literary
Figures course.

II. Purpose

This is a History Major or English Major course.

Objectives for the student:

To identify the major events, persons and ideas of the history of Medieval
and Renaissance Britain.

To develop concepts and methods which give an understanding of what influenced the
attitudes and behavior of major participants in political situations and
literary interpretation.

To read primary and secondary sources and explain their significance to relevant
historical and literary problems.

To practice critical and analytical skills on historical controversies and
literary interpretation.

To identify and analyze significant problems and situations as they relate to the
current issues and the investigation of history and literary criticism.

To become acquainted with Elizabethan and Jacobean drama and the
Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.

To demonstrate knowledge of the Renaissance stage and Shakespeare as
performance.

To demonstrate knowledge of selected Shakespearean plays, including their
content and style.

To become acquainted with critical principles and research
methods of the Shakespearean canon.

To understand the development of certain literary forms and appreciate
their influence on literature and life today.

Goals for the student:

To develop a wider perspective which recognizes the political, economic and cultural
interdependence of differing societies and people, and which encourages a more inclusive
view of the human experience.

To heighten awareness of the specific contributions and perspectives of diverse members
of society.

To appreciate the social, economic, cultural and political developments of
Medieval and Renaissance Britain to our present culture and the human
condition.

To understand the influence of the past on contemporary events and problems, or, in
other words, to develop "Historical Mindedness."

General Learning Outcomes for the student:

In addition to the more content related objectives described above, this course has
some general liberal learning goals. Successful completion of this course is expected to
help improve your ability

The required readings are intended both to provide you with important factual and
background information before class and to be used as review and reference works
afterwards. Before class, you will read the chapters or pages assigned according to the
class schedule, section VIII. Not all topics in the books will be covered in class, but
you are responsible for them on the exam and in class discussion.

The instructors may give quizzes to test your reading and comprehension.

2. Class Participation & Attendance:

Participation and attendance are necessary because lecture and discussion provide the
essentials for achieving class goals and objectives. Thus a portion of your grade (about
20%) will depend on your in-class performance. You are required to attend each class,
arrive on time, remain attentive, respond to questions, ask questions and participate in
any in-class projects.

Lectures may be recorded with the instructors' permission, although the tapes must be
erased after the exams.

The instructors will regularly take attendance. Absences due to college activities,
emergency or extended illness may be excused by the appropriate director or dean. Other
absences are unexcused and will lower the class participation portion of your grade. After
any absence, you are responsible for making up missed work, requesting hand-outs and
already returned assignments, or borrowing notes from other students. Whether absences are
excused or not, you cannot get a higher grade than the percentage of classes attended.

All students who have a learning disability, physical handicap and/or any other
possible impediment to class participation and requirements should schedule an appointment
with the instructors during the first week of class to discuss available accommodations.

If you miss an exam, contact the instructors as soon as possible. You may take a missed
exam only at the discretion of the instructors. The makeup exam may be in the form of an
oral exam.

If at some point during the semester you must discontinue the course, due to poor
performance, illness or some other cause, be sure to follow proper procedures for
withdrawal.

C. Other Requirements:

You will take one mid-term exam on the assigned date in the class schedule, and a final exam as assigned during finals week. Exams are described in more detail
below, section V.

You will have several in-class discussion/projects. Short quizzes or written reports may also be required to evaluate the
in-class discussion/projects. You will have two major papers totaling twelve to fifteen pages. These assignments are described
below, section VII.

IV. Grades:

For more information see grading policy. For your
protection, in case of errors in recording, you should keep copies of all exams and
assignments until you have received notice of your grade.

Your final grade will be based on a percentage (above 91%=A, 89%=B+, 81%=B, etc.) of
the sum of the following points: 10-20 for each quiz or in-class discussion/project and
paper evaluation; 50 for the Shakespeare Paper, 100 for the Play Paper; 100 for the midterm exam, 150 for the final
exam; and 200 for your class performance and attendance.

A. General Description:

You will take one mid-term exam on the assigned date in the class schedule, section
VIII, and a final exam, which is comprehensive, as assigned during finals week.

Both exams will consist of short identifications quizzing knowledge of detail and
significance (including quotations from plays), and essays testing your
understanding of the course material through logical presentation of facts and
explanation of historical trends and literary analysis.

To study for the exams you should regularly, at least once a week, review
your class notes. You should also compare and contrast these notes with your textbook and
other readings.

Only paper from the instructors is to be used. Please write legibly, in ink.

The Final Exam will include a question using Josephine Tey's The Daughter of
Time and an examination of Richard III. Some questions to consider as
you read: How does the detective come to question what he knows? How
does he find his sources, with what difficulties? How does he evaluate
various sources against one another? Do you agree with his conclusions?

B. Themes and Questions

What are the main historical trends and issues in the times Shakespeare
covers, as seen by historians? In particular, how did politics and society
interact in the Middle Ages? What foreign policy challenges did England
and its neighbors face? How do any of these reflect or illuminate the
concerns of Shakespeare's time or our own?

How does Shakespeare use historical sources? Where and why does he take
liberties? Is it art for art’s sake? Does he have a particular
intentional theme? What are the weaknesses or strengths in the sources
themselves?

Art of the universal in Shakespeare is that his plays are all domestic; take
away all the different names and titles, and you have families dealing with
problems that people face through the ages. So how does any one play
reflect (or not) the story of a family within a larger historical context?

Perhaps by necessity, male voices tend to dominate Shakespeare’s history
plays, but a female presence in Richard III, I Henry IV, and Henry V exists, and
some would say is essential. Do you notice any differences among the women in Richard III
compared to the women in I Henry IV? Comment on the female voices in the history plays
you are reading.

VI. In-class Projects:

Regularly through the semester we will have in-class discussions and projects. You are
required to have read before class the appropriate material (as listed on the class
schedule or otherwise assigned by the instructors) and be prepared to
discuss and write about it with the instructors or in small groups.

You will be evaluated by short quizzes or written reports done in-class or after class,
worth between 10 and 20 points each.

Students with unexcused absences will receive no credit for the project/discussion.
Students with excused absences may prepare a short report, after consultation with the
instructors.

A. Purpose:

These exercises will acquaint you with the processes used by historians and
literary critics in conducting
original research. Thus you will read carefully, manage information, evaluate different
historical and literary opinions, compare and contrast arguments, organize your thoughts and present
them in a clear, coherent and interesting narrative. You will also gain expertise and
knowledge about a portion of the English history and a better sense of the
interaction of fact and fiction.

B. Deadlines:

Meeting due dates are an important aspect of written assignments. Papers should be
handed in to the instructors, by you yourself, at the beginning of class on the dates
assigned (see class schedule). Unless special arrangements have been made,
no late papers or assignments will be accepted, which means no credit (zero).

D. Assessment of major written assignments

Using the following chart, other students will evaluate and the instructors will grade
your written assignment. You should use these criteria yourself as a self-assessment guide as
you complete the project.

Research

Selection of primary sources

Selection of secondary sources

Thoroughness of source search

Use of paraphrase and quotations

Effective use of details from sources

Content

Appropriate thesis

Clarity of thesis

Factual accuracy

Support of generalizations and opinions

Support of conclusions by evidence

Plan

Complete introductory paragraph

Proper introduction of new points

Effective transitions between points

Clear topic sentences

Paragraphs well-structured

Comprehensive concluding paragraph

Presentation

Spacing, margin, pagination

quotations format

Footnote/endnote format

Bibliography format

Style

Word choice, grammar, spelling

Clarity of sentence structure

Understandable flow of ideas

Suitability to audience

#1. SHAKESPEARE PAPER: You are to write a four-to-six page paper examining the question of
Shakespeare's authorship of his plays, from both literary and historical
perspectives.

Suggested Procedure:

1. Research both the historical and critical background of the controversy
surrounding Shakespeare's authorship of his plays. You must use the
Riverside critical apparatus and appendixes, several of the websites linked to
below, and at least 3 printed books or articles. Please consult the instructors for any advice concerning the
paper, well in advance of its due date.

2. Collect, interpret and organize information about the topic. Develop
your thesis which takes an side, either validating Shakespeare as author, some
other figure, or some point in between. By January 25, you should meet
with either instructor, during regular office hours or by appointment, to
discuss the adequacy of the thesis and the progress of your research.

3. Write, re-write, polish and proofread your research paper.
Then hand it in on the due date.

#2. PLAY PAPER: You are to write an eight-to-ten page research paper analyzing the
interaction of historical and literary qualities in one of the following plays
of your choice:
King John, Edward III, Henry IV Part II, Henry VI Part I, Henry VI Part II, Henry VI Part III,
or Henry VIII.

Suggested Procedure:

1. Select and read one of the following plays King John, Edward
III, Henry IV Part II, Henry VI Part I, Henry VI Part II, Henry VI Part III
or Henry VIII.

2. Research both the historical and critical background. In addition to
the relevant class texts, you must cite at least 6 books, 3 journal articles and
2 Internet sites from the links below. Please consult the instructors for any advice concerning the
paper, well in advance of its due date.

3. Collect, interpret and organize information about the topic. Develop
a thesis which evaluates (a) how Shakespeare used or misused history to serve
the purposes of drama or (b) achieved a successful drama by selecting and
transforming history. By March 22, you should meet with either
instructor, during regular office hours or by appointment, to discuss the
adequacy of the thesis and the progress of your research.

4. Write, re-write, polish and proofread your research paper. Then hand
it in on the due date.

Richard III

Richard III Society, American Branch <http://www.r3.org/intro.html>.
Several articles on the historiographical controversy and a hypertext
annotated version of the play to notes based on Charles Ross's biography.